A Scientific Pipeline to the Nobel Prize Fueled by Immigrants

As three immigrants claim Nobel Prizes in science for the United States this year, experts warn that immigration crackdowns could undo American innovation.

By William J. Broad

Turkey’s Largest City Is Threatened by a Lurking Seismic Catastrophe

Escalating activity along a fault line in the Sea of Marmara is moving closer to Istanbul, seismologists warn.

By Robin George Andrews

A Powerful New Drug Is Creating a ‘Withdrawal Crisis’ in Philadelphia

Medetomidine, a veterinary sedative, mixed into fentanyl has sent thousands to hospitals, not only for overdose but for life-threatening withdrawal. It is spreading to other cities.

By Jan Hoffman and Hannah Yoon

How the Pandemic Lockdowns Changed a Songbird’s Beak

For ecologists, the Covid-19 pandemic has presented a remarkable natural experiment in what can happen to wild animals when humans stay home.

By Emily Anthes

Trilobites

This Squid Is Playing Peekaboo at the Bottom of the Ocean

Perhaps it was hiding from predators. Or trying to catch food. Then again, maybe it just wanted to be left alone.

By Elizabeth Preston

Trilobites

A Hot Plant’s Irresistible Signal Makes Beetles Pollinate It

Ancient plants called cycads say “come hither” in infrared.

By Sofia Quaglia

Origins

For Real, a Natural History of Misinformation

It’s not just humans who suffer from leading one another astray. So do fish, flies and even bacteria.

By Carl Zimmer

Clean, Limitless Energy Exists. China Is Going Big in the Race to Harness It.

Beijing is pouring vast resources into fusion research, while the U.S. wants private industry to lead the way. The winner could reshape civilization.

By Raymond Zhong, Chris Buckley, Keith Bradsher and Harry Stevens

The Oilman Who Pushed Trump to Go All In on Fossil Fuels

Harold Hamm, an Oklahoma oil tycoon, has played a central role in reshaping energy policy by allying himself with President Trump.

By Eric Lipton and Rebecca F. Elliott

Controlling Blood Sugar Cut Heart Disease Risk in Half, Study Says

People who brought their blood glucose down to a normal level had a lower risk of death from heart disease or hospitalization for heart failure after 20 years.

By Nina Agrawal

Risk-Based Screening Works as Well as Yearly Checks After 40 in Finding Breast Cancers

A study of more than 45,000 women found that screening women according to their level of risk was as effective in detecting tumors as the one-size-fits-most screening currently recommended.

By Roni Caryn Rabin

Hundreds Quarantined in South Carolina as Measles Spreads

The outbreak shows no signs of slowing, likely because of the affected area’s “lower-than-hoped-for vaccination coverage,” a state health official said.

By Teddy Rosenbluth

What Is Gout, and Why Is it on the Rise?

The condition is increasingly common, but stigma often prevents sufferers from obtaining treatment.

By Brendan Borrell